


Ottoke!

by markhyuck6_6



Series: Nct Oneshots [8]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Hurt/Comfort, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan Is The Sun, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan Needs a Hug, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, M/M, Sad Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Sweet Mark Lee (NCT)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:47:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29942646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markhyuck6_6/pseuds/markhyuck6_6
Summary: “Get off Haechan! Geez. Stop giving me puppy eyes,” Renjun complained, shoving Donghyuck off him after he climbed onto the older seeking for cuddles. Renjun rolled his eyes and told him to get off, but Hyuck didn’t want to so he resorted to using aegyo. He immediately stopped after hearing Renjun’s complaint, “it won’t work and you look ugly doing it.” Wow, way to add salt to the wound. If Donghyuck wasn’t hurting earlier, he definitely is now.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Everyone, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Everyone, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Series: Nct Oneshots [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040465
Comments: 1
Kudos: 88





	Ottoke!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and this story does not correspond/apply to real life. This is work is fiction and for entertainment purposes and entertainment purposes only. Please understand that I do not mean to antagonize anyone or anything in real life and do not mean any type of offense whatsoever. Also, I am not perfect at writing so please excuse me for any mistakes or inaccurate information.

“Get off Haechan! Geez. Stop giving me puppy eyes,” Renjun complained, shoving Donghyuck off him after he climbed onto the older seeking for cuddles. Renjun rolled his eyes and told him to get off, but Hyuck didn’t want to so he resorted to using aegyo. He immediately stopped after hearing Renjun’s complaint, “it won’t work and you look ugly doing it.” Wow, way to add salt to the wound. If Donghyuck wasn’t hurting earlier, he definitely is now.

He climbed off and went to find his next victim. 127 finally didn’t have practice, leaving Haechan with a free day. However, as much as he wanted to spend the day with Mark, his boyfriend had a practice with SuperM. The hyungs all either went out or slept in, leaving him bored having nothing to do in the dorms. So, to help his boredom, he decided to visit the Dreamies, considering that he hasn’t been with them in a while.

Renjun, Chenle and Jisung were the only ones awake, the Nomin couple still cuddling in bed. Chenle and Jisung went to film another episode of Chenji’s this and that which left Renjun the only one in the dorm who is targetable. Donghyuck sighed, he came to the dorms so he isn’t bored and he came just to find nothing to do. He headed back to the 127 dorms, yelling a goodbye to Renjun who gave no response.

Back at the dorms, Donghyuck went up to his room and started playing Overwatch, half playing half thinking. Does he use too much aegyo? He’ll admit, he uses aegyo a lot, but is it too much? He knew that most of the Dreamies hated it, always dismissing him and yelling at him to stop. The 127 members actually weren’t that bad. Of course, Mark and Jungwoo loved his aegyo. Mark, being the whipped boyfriend. Jungwoo, being the other aegyo master. He’s proud to say that usually, Johnny is also whipped for his cute whining. The other members were debatable. Usually, they just smiled fondly at him, thinking that he’s the maknae of the group and it’s normal for him to act that way. Besides, they think he’s cute… right? Now that he thinks about it, the hyungs will also yell at him if he goes overboard with the aegyo.

This actually isn’t the first Donghyuck thought about this. He knew how much his friends hated his cute antics and always wondered if it was too much. They always gagged or shoved him away when he used it. Maybe he should actually stop, and stop annoying the members.

The next day, he walked into the living room with a stone face. He greeted the members with an average tone. That’s when he found a serious flaw in his plan. His method of communication with the other members is aegyo. Abandoning the use of aegyo leaves him clueless in how to interact with the members. What’s worse is that he lives off of affection. He seeks affection by acting cute. Well, just no more cuddles for now.

The members looked at the youngest in confusion. By now, each of them would have already received a morning hug. Mark headed over to the couch where Donghyuck sat and sidled up, wrapping his arms around his waist. He sighed in relief as the younger melted into his embrace and snuggled back. “Hey, what’s wrong. You can tell me you know?” Mark murmured in concern. He knew his boyfriend was the clingy type, no skinship means that there’s a serious problem.

“I’m fine, just tired,” Donghyuck wasn’t lying. He was tired after losing hours of sleep by thinking about his decision, or his mission, as a better way to put it. Mark made a sound of sympathy and hugged him more. He knew that at times like this, his boyfriend needed him the most. He sent a look to the older members, sending them the message that Hyuck is okay.

They head to practice, and as usual, Donghyuck starts yelling out random things but is later shushed by the others. By the end of the dance practice, Donghyuck was tired and ready to collapse and fall asleep, but his schedule wouldn’t allow him to do so. He was quickly whisked away to Dream’s practice. His footsteps echoed in the empty hallways. He missed the way Mark would run with him, laughing and hoping won’t get scolded for being late.

Dream practice was even worse. He knew he couldn’t yell out randomly because the others would snap at him for it. The main reason he was stopping skinship and aegyo were because his friends were disgusted by his actions. He presumed that none of them were affected by the lack of affection, they always shied away from him anyway.

He was right, no one questioned the change of behaviour. On one hand, he’s happy since that means that no one would complain about him anymore. On the other hand, he’s sad that no one cared to pay attention to him… but that’s probably because he’s an attention hogger.

~~~

A month later, all members were positive that something is going on with the maknae of 127. They all knew that something was bothering him which stopped him from using aegyo which also essentially cut down the amount of skinship he used.

The Dreamies started to notice after a few weeks. They questioned whether or not Haechan was okay or if it was just the idol stress catching up to him. Jaemin, being his aegyo partner, is annoyed. Now, he was the only one doing skinship and aegyo. Jeno and Renjun felt worry, and maybe a hint of relief. Even though they were concerned, they couldn’t help but feel happy that there was one less person to bug them. However, they often found themselves wishing that their Full Sun would walk up to them and give them cuddles and give them puppy eyes until they stopped restraining. They don’t deny that even they miss the cute member. Despite their young age, Chenle and Jisung were mature, maybe sometimes even more mature than the others. They started wondering if they took the rejections too far, prompting Haechan to stop giving his love. They knew that they usually pushed him off for fun, but never knew that the boy would take things personally.

The U members caught on not longer after Dream, noticing how the young boy stopped looking for them for movie nights or just hangout sessions. They saw him less and less until he was pretty much not existent between them. They also noticed how Haechan never used aegyo on shows anymore, only seeing his struggles as he restrained himself from jumping on the other members.

The 127 members had noticed earlier than everyone else. It was understandable considering that they liked the youngest’s aegyo the most. Of course, they noticed the absence of puppy eyes, high-pitched whines, and pouts that were sent their way. They tried to get him to act cute once again, but failed, only getting a small bitter smile and a dismissive hand. Johnny and Jungwoo obviously missed him the most. Johnny always cooed whenever the youngest showed the cute side of him. Without the cute smiles to cheer him up, Johnny found himself constantly searching up videos of Haechan’s aegyo. Like Jaemin, Jungwoo was Haechan’s aegyo buddy, sad that he can no longer act cute along with the other members. The rest of the group all missed their Full Sun. They knew that they usually shooed him away when he came pouting for hugs and kisses, but they always secretly found it cute. Jaehyun and Taeyong especially found it cute that the boy would find so much comfort in the members.

Mark was probably the most and least affected member out of all of them. Donghyuck still clings to him, but also toned down the cute actions, only pouting when Mark coaxed him to but only privately. The main thing that bothers him is how he knew that his boyfriend stopped doing what he loved because of those around him. He knew that the Dreamies and sometimes the hyungs got fed up with his actions. He also knew that they were so annoyed that they couldn’t see the frustration, pain and hurt that flashed across his face before sending a “mischievous” smile and flouncing off to find someone else to bother.

Soon, the 127 members couldn’t contain worry anymore, confining Mark, knowing that Donghyuck still acted normally around them. They learned the problem, immediately taking action when they found out what was going on. No, Donghyuck never told Mark about his problem and why he became unusually quiet but he knew his boyfriend. He knew that he’s hurt.

Doyoung, Taeyong and Mark headed over to the Dreamies’ dorms to give them a long ass lecture while the others all went to the maknae’s room to ask him about his internal dilemma.

Inside, Donghyuck was struggling. He felt as if he turned into a different person. One small change in his behaviour changed his entire Full Sun image. He used to be the moodmaker who always made others smile. Now, everyone is trying to have him smile. He knew that to the fans it might be obvious. Before, he would always “fake” a hurt expression whenever the members joke about his aegyo, but now, it’s different. Now, he just wears a pained expression, trying to manage a small fake smile. Without aegyo, he became emotionless. Aegyo was one of the things that defined him as Haechan. Without it, he is clueless on how to act, resorting to short replies and small tired smiles.

Donghyuck sprung up in his bed as soon as he heard the door open. He threw his phone down and looked at the hyungs who were entering his room. They quietly walked in, startled that the younger was still awake, considering that it was quite late, even for the older members. The members looked at Donghyuck, who was staring back emotionlessly. Jaehyun walked over to him, shaking his arm. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked, even though he clearly knew what was wrong.

“Hey guys, look at this… ” Taeil said, looking at Donghyuck’s phone that he just took. Hate comments were displayed on the bright screen, hate comments.

_ Haechan’s aegyo is so ugly wtf? _

_ Why does Haechan's aegyo voice sound so much like a dying crow? _

_ I don’t get how the NCT members deal with Haechan’s disgusting actions. _

_ This brat needs to stop… he’s so fucking annoying. _

_ Sometimes, I just want to tell Haechan to fuck off and stop using skinship around the members, they’re mine! _

_ Haechan looks so fucking ugly when he pouts. _

_ Why do people compliment Haechan’s “fluffy and cute” cheeks? They’re literally just a bunch of fat on his face? How is that even cute? It’s disgusting. _

_ Honestly, I just watched Haechan’s aegyo and I wanna throw up. I’m gonna have nightmares now. Pray for me y’all! _

“Oh Hyuckie…” Johnny murmured. He embraced Donghyuck in a hug and rubbed his hands in circles, whispering comforting words, causing him to finally burst into tears. The other members all piled in and hugged him, too.

“Don’t worry, they’re all wrong. Your aegyo is adorable, the fans are all just jealous,” Yuta murmured.

“Of course I’m adorable, how am I not?” Donghyuck said, trying to lift up the mood, not wanting the members to worry about him. He already took away their precious sleep, no need to fuss over him more. Obviously, his reassuring failed considering that his voice cracked at the end, only resulting in a sigh and more warm encouragement.

Meanwhile, the Dreamies were receiving a scolding, getting yelled at by Mark and the moms of 127. “Can’t you see how sensitive Donghyuck is to your reactions of his aegyo?”

“It’s not like Donghyuck is the cutest when he does aegyo! Besides, he does it  _ way _ too much, he needs to know when to stop sometime.” After hearing that comment from Renjun, Mark became furious. He was disappointed but now this is just unacceptable! He lunged at the younger boy but was dragged back by the older members.

“True, Haechan may use too much aegyo but that’s the way he communicates with us. You’re essentially just making fun of his choice of words with you. You’re basically saying that him just talking to you is annoying. I know you might not like his aegyo, but you don’t need to be so harsh on it. You can tell him to tone it down a bit. But gagging and pushing him off may be too far don’t you think?” The other Dreamies hung their heads after hearing Doyoung.

“Hyung, has Donghyuck been acting normally around you?” Jeno looked at Taeyong expectantly. He sighed and shook his head. He knew that although he usually adored their maknae, he would still push him away when he gets too much, always ignoring the pout on the younger’s face.

“What about you Mark hyung? Hyuck hyung is your boyfriend,” Chenle piped up from behind.

Mark sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “He acts relatively normally with me, but like what he does to you guys, he’s more… closed off, I guess. He doesn’t ask for cuddles anymore and only acts cute when he’s really desperate or when I beg him too. I’ve asked him to do it in public a few times, but he only accepts when we’re alone. I think the way we treated him impacted him so much to the point that he doesn’t even know how to deal with our reactions anymore and you know Donghyuck. When some things get to him, he wants to fix it as soon as possible, not caring about the possible consequences. In this case, he thinks that we hate his aegyo so he thinks that the only way to fix it is to stop using it. The problem is that he doesn’t know how to communicate with us without aegyo so he closes himself off in general.”

The Dreamies all looked down, ashamed of all their actions. Sure, Haechan may have overused his cute antics, but that doesn’t mean they should just pretend to throw up every single time.

~~~

A week passed and all of the NCT members decided to try to get Donghyuck back to his “normal self.” Donghyuck knew. He knew that the members found out through Mark and wanted to make it up with him. Yes, he was mad at his boyfriend for exposing him, but he knew that Mark was doing what was best for him, he trusted him.

The Dreamies had already apologized, rushing into the 127 dorms as soon as the scolding ended. Donghyuck had already calmed and was put to sleep considering that it was already late. The other hyungs looked in confusion at the Dreamies who had stormed in. They opened the door to Donghyuck who had just woken up because of the loud racket the younger members made. As soon as the Dreamies walked in, Jaemin tackled him into a hug, whispering apologies. Chenle followed, except he decided to yell instead. Jisung gave a soft hug and cute pout to show how sorry he was as he was never the one to be good with words. Last but not least, Jeno and Renjun trailed in, hanging their heads. They immediately bursted into long speeches of how sorry they are and promised to never make fun of him again.

Donghyuck, well Donghyuck smiled. He knew that the Dreamies meant well and knew about his problem. As soon as he got the apologies, he forgave them with a soft smile. That night, all the Dreamies piled up and cuddled with Donghyuck on his bed, leaving a jealous but happy Mark behind.

Later on, Donghyuck forgave all members, but still couldn’t find himself going back to using aegyo. The members would coax him to do anything, really, as long as it was a cute act. He tries, really, but just can’t find himself doing what he used to be best at anymore. But the members are patient. They know that they caused this problem so they need to fix it.

So here is Donghyuck now, crying while being held by the members. They had a group dinner and he was unusually quiet during the whole meal, just watching the members mess around while the hyungs yelled at the youngsters messing around. After that, the boys settled in the living room, deciding on what to do. They decided to play truth or dare. The first round started off with Lucas. He chose Donghyuck. “I dare you to do your ‘Haechannie is here’ aegyo,” Lucas said when Donghyuck chose dare. He knew that Haechan had been using less aegyo but didn’t know the reason for it since he was away for WayV promotions. All members shared worried but excited looks. Yes, they want to see the boy’s aegyo, but they don’t know how well he’ll take it.

The members watched eagerly as he opened his mouth, but were quickly disappointed when no sound came out. Donghyuck’s eyes welled up with tears as he struggled. He wanted to act cute, he really did, but his mind pushed away the act as soon as he opened his mouth. Now, he disappointed his members, he’s so useless! The 127 and Dream members hurried to the crying boy’s side while others filled in the confused WayV members on the current situation. Lucas, Kun and Winwin all felt bad, never rejecting him, but never really accepting either. Ten was outright concerned. Yes, he hated the mischievous maknae but still loves him with his whole heart. Hendery, Xiaojun and Yangyang, well, they’re worried. They were never the closest due to management, but they knew that he was always a person with a bubbly and happy personality. They were actually excited to see his aegyo since they never saw it in person before.

Meanwhile, the other members had managed to calm down Donghyuck, who was now in Mark’s embrace. They decided to call it a night and Mark brought the boy into his room and stayed, cuddling his boyfriend while playing with his hair.

The rest of NCT gathered in the living room once again to discuss what to do now. They later decided to take things slow. 

~~~

  
  


The miracle happened a few days later. The members were all gathered in the living room, deciding on a movie to watch. Most members wanted to watch horror, but Haechan wanted to watch Parasite. Just as they were going to select IT 2, a whine was heard, “Haechannie wants to watch Parasite, pleeeeease?” The other members looked back in shock, eyes landing on Donghyuck, who had big, puppy eyes and a pout forming on his lips. The room suddenly broke into cheers and coos, this was the first time he used aegyo in months.

“Of course, we can. I’m so proud of you Haechannie,” Taeyong smiled at the boy. Donghyuck had already lowered his head in embarrassment. Why did he do that? He probably looked ugly. Suddenly, hands started squishing his cheeks. 

He looked up to see a smiling Johnny, cooing, “Awwww, look at our cute maknae! He’s embarrassed!” Donghyuck blushed and looked at Mark for support. His boyfriend sent him a small smile and mouthed a good job. The rest of the group just smiled fondly, happy that their Full Sun is back to his cute and pouty self.

Their sunshine might have been covered by the clouds, but he will always continue to shine.


End file.
